Rutgers' Senior Day can be special

Tom Larsen/Associated PressBrian Leonard led the band on Senior Day of the 2006 Rutgers season.

At Rutgers, the model for Senior Day is, and likely always will be, Brian Leonard.

However, without a little postgame prodding from coach Greg Schiano, the memorable image of Leonard leading the band in the alma mater -- a football in his left hand, a sword in his right -- might never have happened.

It also gave Leonard a chance to finally let loose all of the emotions he had been bottling up during the week of his final home game.

"It was a really emotional day for me," the Rams' running back said from St. Louis this week. "For the rest of the seniors, walking down that Scarlet Walk one last time, being with your teammates at a home game one last time. It was an awesome closing to my career, when Coach Schiano had me get up there and lead the band in the alma mater."

Though this bunch of Rutgers seniors has brushed the questions and the comments about the emotion of playing their final home game aside, Leonard says don't be fooled. No matter how much the Scarlet Knights' seniors are focusing on tonight's regular-season finale against Louisville, they know they'll be taking the field at Rutgers Stadium for the final time.

"When you're a senior and it's your last home game, you're definitely aware of it," Leonard said. "It's emotional. Through the whole week of practice, you know it's your last game. You want to play your best. You want to win. You never want to end your career with a loss at home."

Especially on a Senior Night where so much will be riding on the outcome.

A win will guarantee Rutgers a fourth-straight bowl game appearance and cap off a stunning turnaround from a 1-5 start. A loss wouldn't eliminate Rutgers from bowl contention, but the Scarlet Knights would have to wait to see if there will be a bowl bid available for them. Schiano, though, is just trying to keep the rest of the team focused on the task at hand -- and not let emotions or Senior Night tributes get in the way.

"I think it's dangerous for players to start reflecting when you have a game to play," Schiano said. "You take your eyes off the prize. Sometimes I've seen guys get too emotional for their final game, and then the only emotion they'll have for the rest of their lives is regret because they didn't play well in their final game."

Leonard, who will be at the Rutgers University Bookstore this afternoon to sign copies of a book covering Rutgers' football history, will be on the sideline for tonight's game. He hopes he can bring some good luck to Rutgers for another Thursday night game with Big East rival Louisville.

Two years ago during Rutgers' watershed 28-25 victory over then-No. 3 Louisville, Leonard caught a pass on a third-and-6 play. The fullback turned it upfield for 26 yards to help set up Jeremy Ito's game-winning field goal. That was the last time Rutgers played a Thursday night home game against the Cardinals.

"I just remember that was a huge game for us," Leonard recalled. "Going into that game, I remember all of the fans waiting outside of the ticket booths to get in. I actually walked out there the night before and saw them all waiting outside. I remembered having the feeling of 'Wow, look what we've done. We really turned this program around.'"

From both a player and an alumni standpoint, Leonard would like nothing more than to see his Scarlet Knights clinch another bowl berth in front of a national television audience. He's stayed in contact with many of the key senior members of the team, including quarterback Mike Teel and linebacker Kevin Malast, throughout the year.

While he was surprised that such a senior-heavy team started off so poorly, he never thought that all of the work that players such as himself put in to revitalizing the program had been for naught.

"I just kept telling them to keep their heads up and keep playing hard," Leonard said, "that if they stuck together, they'd get this thing turned around. I mean, look what they did. It's really an amazing feat -- I think as amazing as my senior season."

Which is why Leonard would like nothing more than to see Teel or Malast or any number of the seniors, be hoisted up to lead the alma mater just like he did.

To have that same feeling that he had.

"Afterwards when I was by myself, I was just thinking, 'What a way to end my career,'" Leonard said. "It was an awesome feeling to hold that sword in front of all those fans, leading the alma mater. When I think about it now, it's kind of unreal."